Mayhem and Mutiny

by Charissa Dufour

  Bit couldn’t help but smile. At the time, she had been ready to piss herself with fear. Now, all she wanted was Calen—and her other crewmates—by her side. She loved each one of them—well maybe not Dirk. Had she asked her former self if an owner could care about his Indentured Servant, she would have laughed outright. Now, though…

  No. Jack didn’t love her, didn’t care about her as a human being. If he had he wouldn’t have called in the government to track her down.

  Bit frowned. How had she gotten on this topic? She let out a long breath, unaware she had been holding it and stepped out into the street. She knew where she needed to go.

  A few minutes later, she stepped into the same cantina where Calen had won her.

  The owner stepped out, looking extremely tired. It was early in the morning—a time when he would normally be sleeping. His shirt was stained with dry blood.

  “I ain’t got time for you now. You want work you come back tonight—cleaned up.”

  “Kofi,” she began, unsure what to say next.

  “Bit?” he asked, frowning as though he was trying to see past her mask of dirt. “Well, I’ll be damned. Until a few hours ago, I never thought I’d see your face in here again.”

  “A few hours ago?”

  “Your people came by, twice,” he added, anger coloring the one word.

  “My people?”

  “Your crewmates. First time they just asked a few questions. The second time…” He didn’t finish, but his hand went to the blood stain.

  “You telling me one of my crewmates did that to you?”

  Kofi nodded. “His name was Bl…”

  “Blaine,” Bit cursed. “I’ll kill him for this.”

  “Then three others came and clobbered him with my baseball bat. They trussed him up and took him to your ship.”

  Bit let out another long breath. At least some of the crew was out of the chase.

  “You catch their names.”

  “No. Their leader was kinda red-headed, or maybe auburn. He knew how to handle himself. Then there was a blond with grease-stained hands and a black boy.”

  It wasn’t hard for Bit to recognize Nathyn, Forrest, and Jeremiah.

  “Bit, what have you gotten yourself into?”

  “I ran away.”

  “Bi-it!” Kofi called out her name, dragging out the short word to display his displeasure. “If the police catch you, you’ll be given even more debt. What were you thinking?”

  “I was thinking I’d finally find my last surviving family member. I know Douglas Zandri was in Johannesburg. I’m gonna find him.”

  “Well, I ain’t seen Douglas in years… as I told your captain.”

  “My captain?”

  “Yeah. Uh… Jack?”

  Bit nodded.

  “He came by first. Asked a few questions. I wasn’t much help. Why you running from a good man like that?”

  “Because family is more important than my comfort.”

  Kofi didn’t respond for a moment. “All right, Bit, what do you need from me?”

  “I just need to get cleaned up. Once I can go outside without drawing stares, I’m out of your hair.”

  Kofi raised his hand to his shaved head and gave her a tired sounding chuckle. “Make it fast. It’s way past my bed time.”

  Bit hurried into his private apartment, just above his cantina and took over the bathroom.

  Kat let out a long, tired sigh as Forrest came to relieve her from her watchdog duty. Just like everyone else’s watch, nothing had happened. Blaine was a quiet, resigned prisoner by all appearance. They had fed him and taken him to the bathroom at the proper intervals. Other than those times, he was completely silent within Dirk’s old quarters.

  Forrest took her seat and Kat stretched. It had been a long, boring, pointless watch, but Kat wasn’t about to tell Nathyn that. Kat sighed again, disgusted with the whole situation.

  Bit caused all this nonsense! she thought to herself. Why can’t Jack see she isn’t worth all this trouble?

  Jack had wanted Kat to buddy up to the younger girl, and she had tried. But Bit was impossible to get to know, especially with a crew full of men hanging about her. Kat groaned inwardly. There was a reason women were seldom welcome aboard a tight-quartered flying vessel—they created havoc with the men. Kat knew. She had been the cause of such havoc more times than she could count. Now, Bit was the center of the whirlwind of admiration.

  Kat walked away, a plan forming in her mind. Without saying anything to Jer, she headed up the stairs to the bridge. She found Nathyn sitting at the communications desk.

  “Hey, Kat. How’s Blaine?”

  “Quiet.”

  The security officer nodded. “You mind watching the comms. for a few minutes. I missed breakfast.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “Sure.” It was as though Nathyn was in on her plan.

  Nathyn left the bridge and Kat hurried into the comm. chair. She worked the system, using the emergency frequency for the large city.

  “This is Johannesburg Emergency. What is your emergency?”

  “There is an indentured servant that was reported as a runaway a day or two ago, and I found out where she’s trying to go.”

  “I’ll connect you with Department for Logistical Labor,” the business-like woman stated.

  Kat sighed. She didn’t have time to wait on hold. As she waited, she pulled up Bit’s information. Just as Kat was starting to grow antsy, a voice sounded over the headset.

  “This is the Department of Logistical Labor. I understand you have a runaway I.S.”

  “No, well yes. We reported her a few days ago. Since then I have learned where she’s trying to go.”

  “What is the I.S.’s identification number?”

  Kat glanced at the other screen. “3263827.”

  “And where is she going?”

  “It’s not so much a where as a who. She’s going after a previous owner. A Douglas Zandri. I’m not sure where he is now, but she wants revenge or something.”

  “Understood. We’ll track him down and warn him.”

  “I’d put a protection detail. This I.S. is really vengeful. I’d hate for something to happen to Mr. Zandri.”

  “Understood. Thank you for the information. We’ll have the I.S. returned to you as soon as possible.”

  “Thank you,” Kat said, a smile forming on her lips. Soon she would be rid of Bit forever.

  Nathyn’s feet came to halt, so fast he nearly spilled his coffee. Was that Kat’s voice?

  “It’s not so much a whereas a who. She’s going after a previous owner. A Douglas Zandri. I’m not sure where he is now, but she wants revenge or something,” she said after a short pause.

  Nathyn felt his jaw drop as he realized who Kat was talking about. But who is she talking to?

  “I’d put a protection detail. This I.S. is really vengeful. I’d hate for something to happen to Mr. Zandri.”

  Another pause. Nathyn couldn’t believe his ears. Had she called the Department for Logistical Labor? Had she given the police—or whatever those on Earth called peace keepers—yet more information on Bit? Nathyn wasn’t entirely sure why Jack had sent her back to the ship, but he was starting to suspect she hadn’t been entirely loyal.

  “Thank you.”

  Nathyn sighed. Why did everyone have to screw up around him? He was tired of tattling to Jack. He would lock her out of the comms. on the ship and tell Jack when he returned. The captain had enough on his plate. He walked up and entered the bridge, doing his best to act nonchalant.

  “Thanks, Kat,” he said, patting her on the shoulder.

  “No problem. Let me know if you need relief again.”

  “Will do.”

  Kat left. Nathyn sat in his seat, running his hands through his hair. What a disaster!

  Chapter Eighteen

  Bit woke with a jerk. From her place on the cold bathroom tile, all she could see was the bottom of Kofi’s stained toilet. She pushed herself up an
d glanced around, feeling very disoriented. Dressed in nothing but a towel, Bit climbed to her feet and tested her clothing draped over the shower stall door. They weren’t dry enough to wear comfortably, but she could put them in her pack. She dressed in her only change of clothing, feeling remarkably renewed after a few hours of uninterrupted sleep and a fresh outfit. She stuffed the damp outfit in her pack, laced up her boots, and used one of her dreadlocks to tie up her hair atop her head, hoping to make it less noticeable.

  Peeking out of the bathroom, she spotted Kofi fast asleep in his bed. Light poured in through the crack in the curtains on his one window, suggesting it was still before noon. She found a scrap of an old newspaper, scrawled a thank you note in her sloppy script, likely misspelling half of it, and left it on his bedside table.

  She slipped out of his apartment and through the cantina, still struggling to put weight on her knee. Bit glanced up and down the street, seeking inspiration.

  Bit’s eyes flicked to a flashing, eye-catching screen. A notification of increase in taxes disappeared. Her face replaced the notification, announcing a reward for her capture.

  Bit forced her lungs to keep working as she casually continued to walk. Reward posters were likely flashing across screens all over the city. Bit felt panic build inside her chest. With each cry of a vendor or shout of a child, Bit felt herself flinch. She needed to get underground. Literally.

  As if moving of their own accord, her feet took her down the street. She was halfway down the block before she realized where she was going. Even indentured servants have friends. They were usually other I.S.es. And Bit knew Cila would move mountains for her.

  She weaved through the suburb until she came to a rundown-looking warehouse. Though one couldn’t tell from the outside, Bit knew they made bolts used in spaceships. Bit rounded the corner of the enormous building and ducked into the narrow path between it and the next apartment building. Inside the narrow strip, she found the dilapidated back door.

  She had come to this backdoor more times than she could count, but after leaving Earth with Calen, she never thought she’d see it again. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. It took a moment, but the chipped door finally creaked open. A small, dirty face peered out of the crack, its brown eyes squinting.

  “Bit?”

  Bit nodded and the door swung open a fraction wider, still covering most of Cila’s small frame. Cila was a little taller than Bit remembered, her black hair puffing out in all directions. Cila’s large, brown eyes looked up at her, accusation apparent in their depths. Cila was at least five years younger than Bit, though neither was exactly sure of their birthdays.

  “Where have you been? What have you gotten yourself into?”

  “Didn’t you hear? Asselstine lost me in a game of poker.”

  “Yeah, but what are you doing now? Your face is all over town.”

  Bit winced. She had hoped Cila hadn’t seen the wanted poster yet.

  “I’m back in town trying to track down my niece or nephew. Alesha’s kid.”

  Cila nodded. Though she didn’t know the whole story, she knew Bit had once had a sister named Alesha.

  “Can I come in?”

  Cila glanced behind her into the warehouse’s small apartment which she shared with the foreman of the warehouse—her owner. Through the crack, Bit could see into the kitchen. Compared to many I.S.es, Cila had a pretty good life. Finally, she shook her head.

  “No. I’m sorry, but you’ve gotten yourself into deep trouble. If Valence caught you in here, he’d have my hide… or he’d turn us both in.”

  “Cila, we’ve always had each other’s backs. What happened? You’ve changed,” accused Bit, feeling guilty for the lie.

  “You left. I had no choice but to grow up.”

  Bit flinched. Cila’s words were pure truth, putting shame to Bit’s lie. She had left her friend to deal with the life of an indentured servant without a second thought.

  “And growing up has made you turn your back on me?” asked Bit, still trying to convince Cila to let her in.

  “No. It’s made me aware of what’s important.” Cila swung the door open, revealing her swollen belly.

  Bit knew she was staring, but she couldn’t help it. Cila couldn’t be pregnant. She was too young. No one would dare touch her except her owner. The workers in the warehouse knew better. Bit felt her jaw slowly drop.

  “Who did this to you?” she asked, sounding like Cila had a broken limb or a black eye.

  “No one did this to me,” the younger girl snapped.

  “But… your owner…”

  “I chose it. He’s offered to marry me.”

  Bit forced her mouth closed and her eyes to Cila’s face. “Marry?”

  “Being pregnant isn’t bad. I’m happy.”

  “But he… he raped…”

  “He didn’t rape me, Bit. It was completely consensual.”

  “Then he manipulated you.”

  Cila rolled her eyes. “You don’t get it. Sex can be fun. Have you seen Valence? He’s damn fine.”

  Bit knew her face was marred with a frown, but she couldn’t help it.

  “I wanted to sleep with him, even if he wasn’t interested in marrying me. I enjoyed it.”

  She cringed, feeling as though Cila’s words were tilting her entire world on its ear. She felt the urge to cover her ears and sing to drown out Cila’s emphatic speech. Indentured Servants didn’t get to have romance or no-strings sex. Her sister’s death had taught her that. To Bit, sex was paramount to torture and death, and it was doing a song and dance right in front of her. Her mind couldn’t grapple with Cila’s words.

  “You can’t be serious. I-I doubt he’s gonna actually marry you.”

  Cila let out a frustrated sigh and waddled crossed the pristine kitchen. She returned with an official looking piece of paper. Bit looked at it, struggling to read the legal words. But she did recognize “marriage” and their names.

  “We’re taking it into the Department of Unions in the morning,” Cila snapped when Bit looked up from the document.

  “Runaway, Cila! I know my captain will take care of you… and the baby. I won’t let this happen again!”

  “Happen again? Bit, I don’t know what happened to Alesha. I don’t know if she was in love with your owner or if he threatened her, but I am not her. I love Valence. I want to spend my life with him, regardless of my debt. And I want this baby.” She gently placed her hand on her protruding stomach.

  “But what if you die?”

  “We’ve been saving money so that I can have the baby in the hospital.”

  Bit frowned. She doubted Valence had the kind of money it would take for a hospital visit.

  “Now, you need to go.”

  “Please, Cila, I have nowhere else to go.”

  “Go back to your owner.”

  With that, Cila slammed the door in Bit’s face. Bit didn’t know how long she stared at the door’s peeling paint. Finally, she turned and ambled down the narrow gap between the buildings, her shoulders nearly grazing the warehouse wall. She didn’t know where to go or what to do. She had no more contacts in the city… at least not ones that wouldn’t immediately turn her in.

  Maybe I should go back to Jack, she thought as she reached the main thoroughfare.

  Bit pictured Cila in her head, the younger girl’s calloused hand gently rubbing her stomach. Her sister had done the same thing when pregnant. Though lost, battered, and broken, Bit knew she had no choice but to continue. She had to save Alesha’s child. She had to find her family.

  Bit turned south. She still had the address of the communication frequency. She would find Douglas Zandri!

  Chapter Nineteen

  Blaine winced as the wire cut into his finger. The idiots outside the door to his prison did little more than lock his door and post a watch. Evidently, they didn’t realize how much he could do from within. Then again, even Randal had no idea what all Blaine could do.

  He had been a
troubled kid on Earth. After a few mysterious explosions, he had been prepared to spend some time in juvie, but Randal found him and kicked his ass. A year later, Blaine had joined the military and when Randal left it shortly after his wife’s death, Blaine had left, too.

  Now, though, Blaine had a more important alliance—one he prized far more than his lifelong friendship. Nothing but Bit’s safety mattered. Not even the Lenore.

  Blaine crossed two more wires and stepped back to admire his handy work. He pulled an antiquated paper manual out of a drawer—left by Dirk when he cleared out—and stuffed it into the control panel up against the bare wires.

  While he waited, he dampened the bottom of his shirt in the sink and waited. Before long, the manual caught fire and began to smoke. Blaine hunkered down beside the door, his wet shirt pulled up over his face. Within seconds of the fire, the ship’s alarms sounded. From where he hunkered, Blaine heard the pounding of booted feet and the yelling of his crewmates. By the time they realized where it came from, the room had filled with smoke and Blaine was beginning to cough, despite his wet cloth.

  The door swooshed open and the smoke poured out. The first person entered blindly. Blaine stuck his foot out, sending them flying across the room and into the little metal sink compartment. From the sound of the crash, Blaine assumed they were out. The next person to enter moved with more caution. Blaine jumped up, swinging a foot into their face. It was Nathyn.

  Blaine smiled as the other security officer dropped to the floor. Blaine jumped over Nathyn’s prone body. Vance was chugging up the stairs, carrying a large pan of water, and Jeremiah stood in the hallway. The kid wisely raised his hands and backed away, letting Blaine pass.

  Blaine rounded the central staircase and jumped into the airlock. With a couple buttons pressed, he was safely away.

  “Not water!” Jer screamed.

  Nathyn groaned at the sound. He still couldn’t move his body, but he was gaining consciousness. He had been an idiot and let Blaine get the upper hand.